The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[ErickMontreal]

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Moncton Downtown


| DOWNTOWN AREA |


( :: DOWNTOWN VISION :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : The City of Moncton
Status : Development
Links : http://www.moncton.org/search/englis..._Low%20res.pdf






( :: MARRIOTT HOTEL :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : Southwest corp.
Status : Completed
Completion 2008
Usage : Hotel/Restaurant.
Rooms : 137
Anchor : The Kegs




( :: COURTHOUSE :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : TBA.
Cost : $50-million
Status : Approved
Completion 2009
Usage : Courthouse/Office.

PRELIMINARY DESIGN (2008)




( :: ASHFORD OFFICE :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : Ashford properties
Cost : -
Status : Approved
Completion 2010
Usage :Office |4-story




( :: MONCTON MUSEUM :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : City of Moncton
Status : Approved
Completion : 2010





( :: WELDON STREET OFFICE :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : South Willow Development Ltd
Cost : -
Status : Under Construction
Completion 2009
Usage : Office | 3-story
Size : 60 000 s/p





( :: CONDO/RETAIL :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation :
Cost : $10-million
Status : Approved
Completion : 2010
Usage : Condo/Retail
Numbers/Story : 80 condo-units | 7-story
Retail : 15 000 s/f


( :: ST-GEORGE APARTMENT :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : -
Status : Under constructon
Completion : 2008
Usage : Residential (40-units) | 4-story


( :: HIGHFIELD SQUARE REDEVELOPMENT :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : Empire Corp.
Status : Planning
Completion 2010
Usage : Retail/Other


| OUTSIDE DOWNTOWN AREA |


| MONCTON AREA |


( :: CASINO/HOTEL :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : -
Status : Under Construction
Completion 2010
Usage : Casino/Convention center/Hotel.
Anchor : -
Rooms/Story : 127 | 5-story
Convention Center : 20 000 S/F
Theater : 1500 seets




( :: ROYAL OAK ESTATE :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : Royal Oak estate.
Status : Completed
Completion : 2008
Usage : Condo (40) | 4-story




( :: UNIVERSITÉ DE MONCTON STADIUM :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : UdeM/Ville de Moncton
Status : Development, slated for completion in 2008
Usage : Host the 2010 IAAF World Junior Track and Field Championships
Seats : 18 000
Links : http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2006/...lds060329.html


( :: DR. JOHN MCMANAMAN COMPLEX :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : Cordova Realty
Status : Under Construction
Completion : 2008
Usage : Office/retail






( :: BELLA CASA CONDO :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : Hilltop Golf Estate
Status : Under constructon
Completion : 2009
Usage : Condo (40) | 5-story




( :: MORTON APARTMENT :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : -
Status : Under constructon
Completion : 2009
Usage : Residential (64) | 4-story




( :: HUMPHREY APARTMENT COMPLEX :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : -
Status : Under constructon
Completion : 2009
Usage : Residential 32/64 Units | 4/5-Story


( :: MAPLETON SHOPPING CENTER :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : Ascroft and Verdiroc Corp.
Status : Under constructon
Completion : 2008/2009
Style : Power center
Usage : Retail
Size : 300 000 S/F
Anchor : The Bricks, Best Buy


Photo : Jason Lorette


( :: MOUNTAIN ROAD STRIP MALL :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : Under Construction
Completion : 2008/2009
Style : Power center
Usage : Retail
Size : 7500 s/p




( :: NBCC STRIP MALL :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : -
Status : Under constructon
Completion : 2008/2009
Style : Power center
Usage : Retail
Size : -




( :: MOUNT PLEASEANT PlAZA :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : Corey Craig Group
Status : Under constructon
Completion : 2008/2009
Style : Power center
Usage : Retail
Size : 8000 s/p




( :: RESTAURANT ST-HUBERT :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : St-Hubert
Status : Under construction
Completion : 2009


( :: MOTEL 6 :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : -
Status : Under construction
Completion 2009
Usage : Hotel
Rooms : 100



( :: MICRO INNS & SUITES :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : -
Status : Under contruction
Completion 2009
Usage : Hotel
Rooms : -


| DIEPPE AREA |



( :: PLACE EVANGELINE :: )

City : Dieppe
Corporation : Centum
Status : Approved
Completion 2010
Usage : Condo/Office
Anchor : Centum




( :: UPTOWN DIEPPE HAUTE-VILLE :: )




Gross leasable area (GLA) 479 489 square feet
Commercial sector: 234 533 square feet (79 spaces)
Residential sector: 238 956 square feet - 126 units for condos (127 115 sq. Ft) and 122 apartments (111 841 sq. ft)
Parking: 1010
Number of acres: 22 (excluding the ponds, the Dieppe Aquatic and Sports Centre and the section located east of Dieppe Boulevard)

Phase 1 - Under Construction

Commercial A :: Residential A



Residential B :: Commercial B



Residential E :: Commercial E



AQUATIC CENTER

The Pool Facility is a 2875 m2 (approximately 30,935 square feet) facility housing three pools, change rooms, cafe, sauna, meeting areas, and administrative support. The three pools are a 6 lane 25 meter pool, a 2 lane 20.4 meter training pool, and a family pool complete with a pirate boat, slides, and a water mushroom. Phase 2 will be the Sports Facility (Gymnasium) will occur sometime in the future. Construction will start October 2007 with an anticipated completion date of January 2009




( :: BEAUSEJOUR APARMENT:: )

City : Dieppe
Corporation : -
Status : Phase 1 : completed Phase 2 : Under constructon
Completion : 2008
Usage : High-end Residential | 2X 40-Units | 4-Story



( :: IRVING GROUP MONCTON :: )

City : Dieppe
Corporation : Irving
Cost : -
Status : Under-construction
Completion 2009
Usage : Office.


( :: CHAMPLAIN PLACE RENOVATION :: )

City : Dieppe
Corporation : Cadillac Fairview
Status : Under constructon
Completion : 2009
Worth : $14-million




( :: CAP BIMET DEVELOPMENT :: )

City : Cap-Cabinet (Moncton)
Corporation : Cap Bimet Development
Status : Planning
Completion : 2010
Usage : Condo (167 units)




| OTHERS HOUSING |

Flanklin crossing, Camelot Estates,Carriage Hill Developments,Roxborough Park,Rosemont Park, Evergreen Park.


| RECENTLY COMPLETED |

( :: MONCTON FIRE STATION :: )

City : Moncton
Cost : $2-million
Status : Under Construction
Completion : 2008




( :: BMW MONCTON :: )

City : Dieppe-Moncton
Corporation : BMW Canada
Status : completed
Completion : 2008
Usage : Retail




( :: HAMPTON INN CENTER :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : JRV
Status : Completed
Story : 6
Completion : 2008
Usage : Retail/Hotel
Rooms : 100
Anchor : Hampton Inn hotel




( :: MAZDA Dealer :: )

City : Dieppe
Corporation : Atlantic Mazda
Status : Completed
Completion : 2008
Usage : Retail


( :: McDowell Avenue and Whitepine Road :: )

City : Riverview
Corporation : Prince Edward Island company
Status : Completed
Completion : 2008
Usage : Residential (60 Units) | 4-Story




| OTHERS COMPLETED IN 2006/2007/2008 |

Holiday Inn Express Airport Dieppe
Dieppe Jean-Coutu
Dieppe :: City Hall/Place 1604
Champlain Office/Super 8 Hotel
Dieppe :: RBC Office
Blue Cross Center Expansion
Coop Atlantic Dieppe
Downtown Sobeys
RV dealership
Keltic Headquarter
Kenworth dealership
Peterbuilt NB
Emmerson park Office
Molson Brewery
YMAC Redevlopment
Rogers Call-Center Expansion

( :: EMMERSON BUSINESS AND TECH PARK :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : Giffels
Status :
2 buildings complete and in use
1 in construction (due Q1 2007)
7 proposed
Usage : Office
Links:[URL="http://www.theingeniumgroup.com/properties_for_lease/images/millennium_12_vaughan_harvey_emmerson_e.pdf"/URL]

( :: DOWNTOWN VISION :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : The City of Moncton
Status : Development
Links : http://www.moncton.org/search/englis..._Low%20res.pdf

[ErickMontreal]

I made request to get this thread sticky.

( :: KAY COMMUNITY CENTRE :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : The City of Moncton
Usage : Recreation
Completion Date : 2007
Links : http://www.prodeldesign.com/proj6c_e.htm

( :: GREATER MONCTON COURTHOUSE :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : The City of Moncton, Province of NB
Usage : Government
Stories : 5
Completion Date : Spring 2008
Links : http://www.prodeldesign.com/proj11_e.htm

( :: KENT HILLS WIND PROJECT :: )

Location : Kent Hills (just outside Moncton)
Corporation : NB Power, Natural Forces Technologies Inc., TransAlta Wind
# of Turbines : 25
Power Generated :75 MW
Tower Height : 80m
Blade Length : 45m
Links :http://www.visionquestwind.com/pdf/K...nsAltaWind.pdf

NOTE : these are pics of the exact turbine make and model of which will be constructed near Moncton, so just picture 25 of these 125m beasts on the landscape (about the same height as the Aliant Tower)

( :: MONCTON HOSPITAL EXPANSION :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : South-East Regional Health Authority
Status : Under Construction (Complete 2007)
Usage : Ambulatory Care, Medical Lab
Stories : 3
Links:http://www.sehcc.nb.ca/moncton_hospi...h/about_us.htm

( :: UdeM STADIUM :: )

City : Moncton
Corporation : UdeM, City of Moncton
Status : Development, slated for completion in 2008
Usage : Host the 2010 IAAF World Junior Track and Field Championships
Seats : 10,000
Links: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2006/...lds060329.html

Exerpt from City of Moncton press release:

“The 2010 IAAF World
Junior Championships will be the largest international sporting event ever hosted in
Atlantic Canada. With over 180 countries competing, the championships will leave a
positive economic impact in Canada, the province of New Brunswick and the City of
Moncton. A lasting legacy will be established in the form of state of the art facilities and
athletic knowledge, both playing a critical role in the development of athletes.”
The event, tentatively scheduled for early July 2010, will attract over one thousand
participants and hundreds of international media outlets. The economic impact in the
Greater Moncton region is projected to be over $38 million. Prime Minister Stephen
Harper announced last week a commitment of $6 million to go towards building a brand
new state of the art facility in Moncton to host this event.

NOTE : There are no pictures available yet for the planned stadium, these are pictures of an outdoor stadium of a similar seating capacity (approx 10,000)...I will post a drawing as soon as it is available

[Smevo]

All looking good. I'm surprised Moncton doesn't have any buildings of significant height proposed (read more than 7 stories), unless they're being kept low key to try to avoid public opposition.

Originally Posted by Smevo

All looking good. I'm surprised Moncton doesn't have any buildings of significant height proposed (read more than 7 stories), unless they're being kept low key to try to avoid public opposition.

Yeah, thats too bad, hopefully we will see some new mid-rises in the future...the Assumption building seems lonely lol...But the Marriott is 7, thats not too bad...I was very happy to see that lot was going to be occupied, it had been empty far to long

[mmmatt]

By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Tuesday February 13th, 2007
Appeared on page A1


Skate bored? Don't worry.

The City of Moncton's Assomption Boulevard skateboard park is expanding, and work to breathe some new excitement into the seven-year-old facility could begin as early as this fall.

Moncton city council set aside $250,000 in the 2007 Capital Works budget approved on Friday, and the city's director of recreation and culture said yesterday the park's users are being consulted on the design.

"We've had one meeting with local skateboarders and we plan to have another one soon," said Jocelyn Cohoon. "We're certainly open to suggestions,

"We probably had the best one in Atlantic Canada when we opened, but Halifax and Saint John now have new ones. This will let us catch up," she said.

If it seems unduly competitive to keep track of whether or not your city has the best skateboard park, consider it's not just about keeping young people off the streets and out of trouble. It's also a tangible investment in something the city has identified as one of its key economic priorities - attracting and retaining youth to offset the greying of New Brunswick's population.

One thing city officials know is that the facility has been a success since it opened in 2000. At the time, local skateboard guru Jason Murray of Skate to Snow dubbed Moncton's "the best skateboard park east of Toronto."

"This provides not only a great quality of life for those living here now," he said, "but is a great selling point to all those considering living or doing business here."

Cohoon said her department has found the youth the park serves cover a wide range of ages, from young children under parents' watchful eyes to teens to youthful urbanites in their mid to late 20s.

"It's really been a great things for kids who might not use our other city recreation facilities," Cohoon said of the groups the park tends to serve.

Also, she pointed out happily, "we haven't had any problems down there. They (park users) tend to police themselves."

The plans for what precisely to do with the park are up in the air, but Cohoon said the expansion would definitely grow toward the east.

[mmmatt]

New justice complex 'grossly underbudgeted"; Minister blames inflation, not unforeseen costs, for pricetag now estimated at $40M

Times & Transcript (Moncton)
Wed 14 Feb 2007
Page: A1
Section: NEWS
Byline: By Kate Wright Times & Transcript Staff

The final tab for the Moncton justice complex may end up costing the provincial government more than originally projected, but the minister in charge of the file says the increase is a simple matter of inflation, not unforeseen costs.

Supply and services minister Roly MacIntyre was quick to refute a CBC Radio report heard in Moncton yesterday morning, which alleged the cost of the project had dramatically escalated since first being announced.

He said yesterday that the cost of the project has increased by about $12 million since being announced two years ago, but that's no "giant surprise" to him.

He said that the project was grossly under budgeted at $28 million at the outset.

"You're going back two or three years ago, and there's no doubt the costs have escalated," he said. "That was a very early estimate on cost of courthouse. Early estimates were based on no design work being done."

As time and the design of the complex have progressed, MacIntyre said it will be closer to $40 million when all is said and done.

"That's not news to us. It's not unexpected - the cost of construction continues to escalate."

He added that justice complexes are generally more costly to construct because of the security issues involved.

The site of the complex, located at the northeast corner of Assomption Boulevard and Westmorland Street, has come under fire several times over the past two years.

From contamination issues on the site to a low water table causing problems for proposed underground parking, costs have had to increase to reflect the nature of the site, said MacIntyre.

But he maintained yesterday that the department was well aware of costs and "knew they were manageable." Even if the site was to be moved, MacIntyre said issues like parking and the water table in that general region would still be of concern.

To look at cutting back on costs, MacIntyre said parking will be an issue that will continue to be addressed. He said there may be a combination of underground and surface parking to reduce costs.

Regardless, MacIntyre said plans are to go to tender with the project in April, and have the building open by 2009.

He said the project's architect is well into the design and the government will build on the site that's already been chosen.

"The bottom line is, can we build a quality building on that site, and the answer was yes," he said. "

[mmmatt]

Legacy Hotels purchase of Delta Beauséjour Hotel

Times & Transcript (Moncton)
Wed 14 Feb 2007
Page: A1
Section: NEWS
Byline: By Brent Mazerolle Times & Transcript Staff
Source:

The Legacy Hotels Real Estate Investment Trust likes having Moncton's Delta Beauséjour hotel in its holding so much, it has decided to stop leasing the building and just buy it outright.

"It's a vote of confidence in Moncton," Legacy's chief financial officer Michael Putnam said yesterday.

With adjacent lands poised for a massive redevelopment including a convention centre and proposed entertainment complex, Putnam said a $6-million facelift to "renovate and reposition" the facility as Metro Moncton's flagship hotel would begin almost immediately and finish within two years. "We've already got designers waiting in the wings," Putnam said. The company envisions a makeover of all its guest rooms and upgrades to many of the facility's public spaces as well.

While a new convention centre might seem a competitor for a hotel offering 24,000 square feet of meeting space, Putnam said his company embraces the long planned developments and even "might be interested in partnering up."

Legacy has been leasing the building and ground it is on since 1997 but that agreement expires in 2015. "That seemed like a long time back in 1997, but now.. ." Putnam said. "This is a longterm commitment to the city."

The company is acquiring the fee interest in the 310-room hotel for approximately $21.2 million plus closing costs. The acquisition is expected to be financed by a $25 million mortgage on the property. Closing is anticipated in March 2007.

The Legacy Hotels Real Estate Investment Trust is the largest Canadian lodging real estate investment trust, focused on the ownership of luxury and first-class hotels.

Legacy's portfolio of 25 hotels includes The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, The Fairmont Royal York, The Fairmont Empress and The Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle.

[mmmatt]

developer mum on what those stores are, but says site almost entirely committed

Times & Transcript (Moncton)
Wed 14 Feb 2007
Page: A1
Section: NEWS
Byline: By ROD ALLEN Times & Transcript Staff
Source:

The extended cold weather has slowed site preparation at the 33-acre Mapleton Power Centre project across from the Costco store in northwest Moncton but nearly the entire site is committed to future tenants.

Patrick Gillespie isn't yet prepared to say who any of those tenants are, but returned a call from Montreal yesterday where he said he was rounding out the project with the last few companies.

Gillespie is with Ashford Developments, which started grubbing out the hilly, rough terrain at the corner of Ammon Road and the Mapleton off-ramp from Wheeler Boulevard late last year.

Gillespie said at the time he expected to announce some tenants for the site - which he hints is ideal for the same style of 'big box' companies already settled at neighbouring Trinity Mall - early in the new year.

However, "this cold snap has delayed us a little," said Gillespie yesterday, "so we haven't been able to compact the soil as much as we want."

The problem with the site's uneven ground is being fixed mainly by removing material off the big hill and moving it over to the other side where it is being compacted.

The soil doesn't compact as well in extremely cold weather and the contractor will have to wait until conditions improve, said Gillespie.

"I think we're close," he added. "Once we have the soil work done we can get some firm construction start dates for our tenants and we're leaving it up to them to make their announcements.

Gillespie said he might be able to say more in a couple of weeks.

Further east, Champlain Place has yet to announce replacements for two big mainstays - Future Shop and Frank's Music - which pulled up stakes for Trinity last year.

Like Gillespie, Champlain Place manager Neil Mattson said he has new tenants lined up for those sites, as well as the site vacated by Don Cherry's restaurant, but he is leaving them to make any announcements.

Several other outlets in the mall are making renovations, including Cassis (a division of Montreal-based Reitman's clothing stores, Mexx, which is part of Liz Claiborne Canada based in Toronto and Ben Moss Jewelers, based in the United States.

Mattson referred inquiries to those companies, none of which were available for comment.

At least one other tenant of Champlain Place is still with the mall despite yesterday's announcement from U.S.-based Circuit City, which says it will close 62 of its 800 Canadian outlets. The Canadian stores are styled as 'The Source' and one is located at Champlain Place which, as of yesterday, is still in business. The Canadian stores' head office in Toronto was not available for comment.

[mmmatt]

Development to be built near golf course, overlooking river

Times & Transcript (Moncton)
Sat 10 Feb 2007
Page: A3
Section: NEWS
Byline: By Nina Chiarelli Times & Transcript Staff
Source:

Construction is set to begin this spring on a new luxury condo development in Riverview.

The development will be built near the Moncton Golf & Country Club on Coverdale Road, overlooking the Petitcodiac River and downtown Moncton.

Joe Spataro, owner of Primo Tile, said phase one of construction should begin this spring on two four-storey apartment buildings.

"As soon as I'll be able to dig the ground, I'll start," he said.

The luxury condos, geared towards adults and seniors, will also offer underground parking, something new to Riverview, and certainly a big draw for new owners.

In fact, without even so much as a shovel in the ground, Spataro said he's already got one booking.

Brenda Orchard, Riverview economic development officer said yesterday she believes the development is going to be great for Riverview.

"I'm very excited. It's going to have a view of the golf course and view of downtown and it will be our first apartment building with underground parking. That will be a very good feature," she said.

The two buildings will offer several choices to apartment hunters, including one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as one- and two-bedroom suites.

Each building is likely to be about 60,000 square feet with the individual units ranging from 1,200 to 1,500 square feet. There will also likely be future developments on site, Spataro said, such as some commercial offerings.

The plans must first go before the Greater Moncton Planning District Commission, but Spataro said he's expecting to be ready for move in later this fall.

[ErickMontreal]

Originally Posted by stu_pendousmat2

Development to be built near golf course, overlooking river

Times & Transcript (Moncton)
Sat 10 Feb 2007
Page: A3
Section: NEWS
Byline: By Nina Chiarelli Times & Transcript Staff
Source:

Construction is set to begin this spring on a new luxury condo development in Riverview.

The development will be built near the Moncton Golf & Country Club on Coverdale Road, overlooking the Petitcodiac River and downtown Moncton.

Another great news, Moncton is really booming mainly in retail but I complain about Moncton always for the same things, why they dont choose to built one 8 floors building ?

[ElevatorGuy]

To say Moncton is mostly booming in retail is uneducated statement about the region, but most statement on this form are uneducated. There was over 250 million dollars worth of construction activity in the Moncton area last year alone. Thats a lot of Wal-Marts.... The new brewery,sher-gain feed mills, countless warehouses, new water towers,new hotels, and lots of housing just to name a bit of the development. 2006 wasnt really a big year in retail for the Moncton area. I think 2007 will be a big year in retail construction, but the area isnt just retail. Thats just what makes the 5 o'clock news and what all the out of towners think is going on.

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by HalifaxMtl666

Another great news, Moncton is really booming mainly in retail but I complain about Moncton always for the same things, why they dont choose to built one 8 floors building ?

Good point...I dunno really, this must be more cost effective

[mmmatt]

Moncton residential projects reflect changing face of city; 900-unit plan for former rail lands features everything from apartments to single-family homes, while downtown project combines upscale condos and office space
Times & Transcript (Moncton)
Friday, January 6, 2006
Page: A1/A2
Section: Money
Byline: By Brent Mazerolle Times & Transcript Staff

Home sweet single family dwelling/condominium/semi-detached/duplex/ apartment/residential village?

There are more ways than one to live in the city, and Metro Moncton developers have been answering the call to provide a range of options for living space.

Two big new residential projects have just taken their first steps on the road to development, and several other projects around town speak to changing ideas about how we live.

The newest developments are 60 acres of reinvented rail yard wedged between Centennial Park and Pacific Avenue, and an upscale condominium and office building in the heart of downtown,

Work is under way on Franklin Crossing, the planned community to be built on the old Franklin Yard rail sidings between Centennial Park and Pacific Avenue.

Crews this week have been punching a road into the area and Don MacCallum, Canada Lands' director of real estate for New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, said the company is preparing the site for the construction of model homes.

Franklin Crossing has a permitted capacity of 900 housing units, though MacCallum said the company may decide to go not quite that high. Those 900 units will encompass the whole range of housing from single family dwellings and semi-detached homes to apartment buildings and condominiums.

"There will be a mix of home styles but we're still finalizing those plans," he said. "We're doing the very initial stages of the servicing and we're expecting that, (by) early spring, there will be some model homes under construction."

MacCallum said the development would take advantage of its central location and its abundance of surrounding green spaces and recreational areas like the Sportsplex and YMCA to become a dense development with lots that are smaller than those traditionally seen in Moncton.

With the downtown business district a short walk away, the development is poised to draw everyone from young single professionals to families to retirees and there will be housing options for everyone.

Emery Stephen Holdings is the developer on the project. It is the same developer building Domaine Port-Royal Estates on the lands east of Mapleton Road and North of Wheeler Boulevard. Domaine Port-Royal is a $32-million development featuring three strip malls, a hotel, four apartment buildings and condos.

Fredericton-based Andal Corporation is building the condos downtown. The company, owned by twin brothers Andrew and Alan Mockler, is building on a parking lot the company owns for the tenants of its current office tower at 680 Main Street. It's across Robinson Street from the Moncton Market to the south of Tuttle Brothers Funeral Home and to the north of Colpitts Denis Office Products.

To accommodate the 36-unit development, the company is buying a strip of land it had been renting from the city, the 20-foot wide former wharf spur rail line which ran through the middle of Andal's property. The sale was approved at a recent city council meeting but the deal has not yet closed.

Company president Andrew Mockler said yesterday they hoped to break ground on the project in the fall and open about eight months later.

The condo units in the four-storey building will range in size from 1,500 square feet to 1,900 square feet, with two penthouses each comprising 2,500 square feet. The main floor will be 15,000 square feet of office space and there will be two levels of underground parking with a total capacity of 124 vehicles.

Mockler estimated the project's final cost at between $5 million and $6 million.

All of this might represent changing local attitudes as to what constitutes a home in our increasingly dense urban area. Condominiums and semi detached homes are not yet first on home buyers minds in Moncton, but developers are starting to build them, proving the market is growing, said Claude Gautreau, a senior market analyst for the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

"The semi-detached are not growing at the expense of single dwellings (in Moncton)," Gautreau said yesterday.

As for condominium developments in Metro Moncton, "they're not very prominent yet," he said, when compared to Halifax for instance. However, with several projects in the works that is apparently starting to change.

Gautreau also noted apartment starts were strong here in 2005.

He ventured that the fact there are people looking for alternatives to single family dwellings can likely be attributed to more people moving to Metro Moncton from other parts of the country. He noted the proliferation of semi- detached homes in the Toronto area for instance is a fact of crowded urban life. People coming to our area from places like that recognize that semi-detached homes and condominiums can be a viable and even upscale living option. That's quite a contrast to local attitudes, where actions like the Town of Riverview's plan to rezone a part of Whitepine to allow semi-detached homes upset several area residents.

While the options are growing. It appears many of us still like our typical houses. While CMHC's national housing market report for the last quarter of 2005 predicted the housing market falling off a bit in 2006, it did say sales of existing homes are strongest in New Brunswick and the economic powerhouses of Alberta and British Columbia. In its section on New Brunswick, the CMHC report also placed a focus on Moncton's bright future of downtown development.